Deepwater Wind agreement to protect whales

The Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Defense Council and National Wildlife Federation and Deepwater Wind today announced an agreement to implement additional protections for endangered North Atlantic right whales during pre-construction activities for the Deepwater offshore wind farm, planned to be built off the Rhode Island and Massachusetts coasts.

The three conservation organizations have developed a set of protective measures with Deepwater Wind that will minimize potential impacts on North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals from underwater noise and construction vessels during the developer’s site characterization and assessment activities, the organizations said in a news release.

“By working with CLF and our partners to protect North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals, Deepwater Wind shows that offshore wind can achieve its potential to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels while maintaining great sensitivity to our important natural resources,” Tricia K. Jedele, vice president and director of Conservation Law Foundation’s Rhode Island Advocacy Center, said in a news release.